The air ambulance charity serving Gloucestershire and the surrounding areas reported a record-breaking year in 2024, responding to over 2,200 individuals requiring urgent critical care. Notably, there was an increase in the number of babies, children, and teenagers needing urgent care, accounting for nearly one-fifth of all call-outs.
The Great Western Air Ambulance Charity (GWAAC) revealed that the number of people urgently requiring critical care in 2024 rose by 15 percent compared to 2023. Medical-related incidents made up 55 percent of all missions in 2024, with trauma-related injuries making up the remaining 45 percent.
In the region, which encompasses Bristol, Gloucestershire, Bath and North East Somerset, South Gloucestershire, North Somerset, and parts of Wiltshire, the specialist crew attended to 2,272 individuals. Of these, 501 people (22 percent) were experiencing cardiac arrest.
Road traffic collisions were the next most common incident responded to, involving 338 individuals.
In 2024, there was a notable increase in the number of young people, including babies and children, requiring urgent critical care. The number of dispatches to young people has been rising annually for the past three years, with 2024 seeing the highest number of incidents involving young people (379 individuals or 17 percent of all call-outs).
Bristol also recorded the highest number of call-outs for the year. The GWAAC team was called upon to provide urgent care to a total of 656 individuals, marking an increase of 119 people from 2023 in Bristol.
This accounted for 29 percent of all regional call-outs. The following areas also reported significant call-out numbers:.
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Gloucestershire – 621 call-outs
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South Gloucestershire – 345 call-outs
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North Somerset – 277 call-outs
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Wiltshire – 124 call-outs
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Bath and North East Somerset – 123 call-outs
GWAAC also responded to 126 incidents that were outside of the region, including in Somerset and Wales.
Bristol had a total of 656 people require urgent critical care in 2024.
(Image: Image Works)
GWAAC, which began in 2007, has an EC135 helicopter and three critical care cars which give urgent aid to those in need. The specialist crew can give the patient some treatment before getting to the hospital, which can be lifesaving.
Tim Ross Smith, GWAAC’s Operations Officer said: “We’re now seeing six patients a day on average within our operating hours. Demand generally across the NHS is up and we’re getting more requests for assistance from our local land ambulance crews on top of the traditional air ambulance call-outs for incidents like road traffic collisions and cardiac arrests.
“This could be due to the outreach work our crew are doing, educating land paramedics, but also because, over time, our ambulance service colleagues have an increased recognition that our team can support more nuanced decision making in complex situations.”
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Each mission for the charity costs on average around £2,200 to attend. If each mission were to have cost £2,200, then just shy of £5 million would have been spent to give urgent critical care. The charity does not receive any funding from the government or from National Lottery.
CEO Anna Perry says, “I’m very proud that our specialist crew has been able to help a record number of patients in urgent need of critical care in 2024. Everyone who supports GWAAC has worked really hard to raise the funds needed so we could be there to help keep families together.
“But we do have a tough challenge ahead of us, especially with operating costs rising by around 10% over the last year and additional costs coming our way such as increased employer National Insurance Contributions. However, we’re hopeful that our local community will recognise the support we need from them due to this increased demand and will help us be there for those who need us in the future.
“There are so many ways you can support us, from donations to volunteering to buying something from our shops. Thank you to those who have supported us in the past and to those who will support us in the future, you are helping save lives.”